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W. I.. HART. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND STORING COAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. I9I8- Patented Dot. 28,1919.

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WALTER L. HART, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND STORING COAL.

Application filed March 28, 1918.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER L. HART, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Handling and Storing Goal, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanymg drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The invention relates to a method of and apparatus for storing and handling bitu minous coal.

Because of spontaneous combustion arising in piles of bituminous coal and beca se of the practical impossibility of putting out fires in large bituminous coal piles a great quantity of coal is wasted and destroyed each year with a consequent large financial and economic loss. To prevent fires of this kind occurring and the consequent waste of coal I have devised a method of storing the coal by immersing it in water in storage bins and removing this wet coal from the wet bin to a dry storage bin from which the coal may be removed for use and I have devised a simple and efficient form of apparatus for carrying this method into effect.

The invention further consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts of the apparatus hereinafter described.

The invention further consists in a new and improved method and apparatus for storing bituminous coal as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a View of the apparatus embodying the invention, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is aplan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a detail end view of the upper part of the apparatus.

In general the apparatus consists of wet storage bins 4, means for charging the bins and removing the bituminous coal therefrom and for transporting the coal away from the bins, means for introducing water into the bins so as to immerse the coal in water, means for drawing the water from the bins, a dry storage bin 5, and means for delivering the coal from bin 5 into a carrier. 7

Each of the wet storage bins 4 is preferably made of reinforced monolithic concrete construction in hollow cylindrical form Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Serial No. 225,176.: 7 H V V having a closed top 6 and closed. bottom 7, access to the bin beinghad through delivery doors 8 and exit doors 9.

The means for charging the bins 4: and removing the material therefrom consists of track hopper 10 into which the coal is dumped as from a car 11 or any other suitable carrier or conveyance. From this hopper the coal is elevated and dropped into any one oi the bins by means of a clam shell bucket 12 suspended by a cable 13 from a traveling crane 14; running on rails 15 supported on concrete supports 16 disposed upon the tops of the bins. lVhile the clam shell may be lowered into the bins to discharge its load I prefer to use lowering chutes 17 so that the coal may be discharged through the openings 18 passing down the chutes into the bin. A shown the coal is introduced into the bins 4 through'the opening 18 adjacent the doors 8 and is removed by the bucket through opei'iings 19 in said bins adjacent the doors 9.

The means for introducing water into the bins consists of a pipe 20 leading from any suitable source of supply and having branches 21 leading into the bins 4, provided with valves 22.

The means for draining the water from the bins i consists of a drain pipe 20 havin branch pipes 23 communicating with the bottom of each bin and each provided with a control valve 24, with a strainer 25 at the drainage opening in the bottom of each bin.

The dry storage bin 5 preferably made of reinforced monolithic concrete of hollow cylindrical form having a downwardly inclined conical bottom 26 having a centrally disposed discharge opening 26, a valve 27 controlling the passage of material through said opening, a lowering chute 28, and a delivery opening in the closed top 29 covered by the doors 30. The bottom of the bin is raised above ground level so as to form a tunnel 32 to accommodate a conveyance being run in beneath the opening 26, as a car 33 on the tracks 34.

With this construction it the coal comes regular and is used up as it comes all the coal can be placed in the dry bin 5 and used before it has time to ignite but as is frequently and most invariably the case ships ments are irregular and the coal has to be stored in large quantities for considerable periods of time and in this instance the coal is placed in the wet bins 4 through the hoistmg and conveying mechanism previously described and the water is turned on so as to immerse the coal or keep it under waterto prevent spontaneous combustion and then, as it is needed, the water is drained from the bin so that the clam shell will not have to work under water in taking the coal out, and the coal is then carried by the crane to the dry bin from whence it is delivered into the car 33 and taken to the place of use, this dry bin being of a size to take care of a supply of coal suitable for immediate use.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that inaddition to the apparatus I have devised a method for storing coal and preventing spontaneous combustion the es sential step of which is the storing of the coal under water so that the air cannot get at it and more particularly within a closed fireproof container.

I am aware that the wet bin may be used without the dry bin and that various other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I therefore desire it to be understood that such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims I deem to'be within the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A bituminous coal storing and handling apparatus, comprising a group of closed bins constructed water-tight to serve as wet-storage bins, and another closed bin Copies of this patent may be obtained for arrangedin close relation to the group constructed to serve as a dry-storage bin, means mounted to travel across the tops of said bins to load and unload the wet-storage bins and transfer the coal from thewet-storage to the dry-storage bin, said dry-storage bin being provided with a coal discharge means at its lower end whereby it will serve as a sole discharge for the entire group of bins.

2. A bituminous coal storage and handling apparatus, comprising a group of bins one or more of which are constructed for drystorage and are provided with coal discharge means at their lower ends to deliver dry coal tosuitable hauling conveyances, all of said bins being provided with closed top ends having access openings and covers for the same, the bins in the group other than those for dry-storage being formed water-tight for the wet-storage of coal and each being provided with a separate means at its top end for supplying water thereto and also a separate water draining means at its lower 7 end, whereby water can be supplied to and drained from each water-tight bin separately, and a coal loading means mounted to travel across the topends of all of said bins to load and unload the wetstorage bins and transfer the coal from the wet-storage bins to the dry-storage bin. a

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

' WALTER L, HART.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

